The original name 'The Hobbit: There and Back Again' "felt like the right name for the second of a two film telling of the quest to reclaim Erebor," according to the director, so a change was needed.
The last instalment in Peter Jackson's 'The Hobbit' trilogy has had a title change.
The original name of the third film was thought to be 'The Hobbit: There and Back Again' but it will now be known as 'The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.'
The 52 year-old director made the announcement to fans on Thursday (April 24th) via his Facebook page.
"Our journey to make The Hobbit Trilogy has been in some ways like Bilbo's own, with hidden paths revealing their secrets to us as we've gone along," Jackson wrote.
"There and Back Again" felt like the right name for the second of a two film telling of the quest to reclaim Erebor, when Bilbo's arrival there, and departure, were both contained within the second film. But with three movies, it suddenly felt misplaced-after all, Bilbo has already arrived "there" in the "Desolation of Smaug," he explained.
"When we did the premiere trip late last year, I had a quiet conversation with the studio about the idea of revisiting the title," Jackson continued. "We decided to keep an open mind until a cut of the film was ready to look at. We reached that point last week, and after viewing the movie, we all agreed there is now one title that feels completely appropriate."
"And so: 'The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies' it is."
Martin Freeman will return to star as Bilbo Baggins in the final instalment
Jackson did note that the original title, which Tolkien used to describe Bilbo's entire adventure, has a good possibly of being featured on the trilogy's future box-set.
MORE: Peter Jackson Sends Private Jet To Assist In Missing Plane Search
Fans will also be happy to hear an extended version of the second film, 'The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug,' which has over 25 minutes of "new scenes," will be released in the near future.
MORE: More Bard Than Bilbo? What To Expect From 'The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies'
'The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies', starring Martin Freeman, Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lilly and Ian McKellen, and the voice of Benedict Cumberbatch as the dragon Smaug, is slated to hit theatres on December 17th 2014.
Watch the trailer for 'The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug' here
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